What was your most difficult speaking gig? · Inspiring Speakers (Free)

What was your most difficult speaking gig?

I started out speaking only because my mentor tricked me into be the speaker at a Lion's Club. I was not a willing participant because I grew up stuttering. So my fear of public speaking rivaled the most timid speakers!

About a year after that first event I was speaking at a Rotary meeting. Nothing went right! There was a major rain storm so by the time I got into the building I was sopping wet. The President of the organization who booked me was absent and the Vice President had no idea who I was. (Thankfully I always carried my intro sheet)

They set me with my back to the kitchen door and every time the waiters came out of the kitchen they slammed into the back of my chair.

Then it was finally my time to speak. Except, one of the members also thought it was his time to speak since he had something to say about everything I said.

I looked around at the other members and the VP and no one seemed to think that was unusual.

After about 10 minutes of being interrupted, I left the podium and walked out into the audience and put my hand on the culprits shoulder until he looked up at me.

As clearing as I was capable I said to him "I understand they haven't booked the speaker for next week! It will be your turn to talk then!" He didn't utter another word!

Then made my way back to the front of the room amidst the laughter of the rest of the members.

After the meeting broke up, several of the members came up to thank me for how I handled the heckler. Apparently, it was his way of trying to heckle the speaker every week!

That was a tough call! It could have gone either way and I was relieved at the way the members responded.

Have you had to deal with a heckler?

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